Greg Patent | Montana Cooking, A Big Taste of Big Sky Country
Published: February 4, 2009
Celebrated cookbook author, chef and Missoula resident Greg Patent revises a previous work to showcase the melting pot of cuisines that Montana has become.
In Montana Cooking, he skillfully incorporates what nature has given the land in terms of edible bounty, blends in what we farm, herd, hunt and gather, and tosses it all with ingredients and techniques brought west by immigrant cultures from far-away lands. The result is dishes like Asian-style marinated smoked duck and buffalo burgers with thyme in tarragon cream sauce.
Patent makes all the preparations seem easy with his straight-forward instructions and explanations of ingredients. Wild mushrooms of several varieties are featured, as are our precious mountain-grown huckleberries.
Elk, pheasant, quail, whitefish and sturgeon are given a handsome place at the table in mouth-watering forms. Desserts are generally simple, using fruits like rhubarb, cherries, and a variety of berries.
Whether it’s a meal for company or everyday fare, there is plenty to be savored within these pages. As I read this book, I concocted a menu of recipes to include the buffalo burgers with thyme in tarragon cream sauce, sourdough sage biscuits, herb-stuffed tomatoes, and huckleberry ice-cream. Hand me my Sabatier knife and show me to the kitchen!
Greg Patent is the 2003 James Beard Award winner for Baking in America, author of several cookbooks, and a frequent national magazine contributing author. Montana Cooking was published by ThreeForks, Morris Book Publishing LLC and sells for $19.95 softcover.
– Judy Shafter
